CHINA

In depth

UNITED STATES: A new US Department of Energy (DOE) report finds that an ambitious penetration of wind in America -- 35% by 2050 -- is "plausible", in terms of grid reliability and cost, as well as the industry's ability to scale up.

IRAN: While Western media focus on Iran's nuclear intentions, the country has big plans for wind power, with at least 450MW expected online in the foreseeable future, in addition to the 117MW already online.

Market status report

CHINA: The Chinese wind-power market faces a tough year as the industry gets to grips with new government requirements. Though growth slowed in 2011, the market still performed very strongly, with over 15GW of newly installed capacity. Industry officials expect the wind industry to continue to lead the world in growth in 2012 as the government counts on the technology to raise the nation's consumption of renewable energy.